Tank inlet valve means



June 1943- s. HORVATH TANK INLET VALVE MEANS Filed April 21, 1945Patented June 8, 1948 TANK INLET VALVE MEANS Steven Horvath, Detroit,Mich., assignor of onehalf to John Matosh Dearborn, Mich.

Application April 21, 1945, Serial No. 589,498

6 Claims.

-My present invention relates to improvements in flush tanks for closetsand pertains particularly to novel means for controlling the admissionof the water to the tank preliminary to its use for the customary bowlflushing purposes.

The improved means hereof may be employed in conjunction with any tankswherein an outlet valve is usedto empty the receptacle and automaticallycontrolled valve means is desired to be availed of for refilling thetank to a predetermined level.

A particular object of my invention has been to provide certain novelvalve means for admitting-and cutting off the supply ofthe water to theflush tank, Which means operates'substantially instantaneously inperforming the cut-off function, and also provides a silent closingaction with the resultant advantages derived from the latter.

A full understandingof my invention will be had upon reference to thefollowing detail description of the special construction of parts'used,in conjunction with the annexed drawing, the same describing andillustrating a preferred em bodiment of the invention, which, however,may be modified as to construction within the scope of my claimsappended hereto.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a general cross sectional view of a flush tank disclosingthe arrangement of the customary outlet ball valve and also showing theinlet valve means of my present improved invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the valve unit for the controlof the admission of water to the tank and constituting the essentialphase of my present improvement. I

Referring to the accompanying drawings in the figures of which similarparts are referred to by like reference numerals or characters, Adenotes a flush tank which may be of any ordinary construction, and inthis tank is mounted the usual ball valve I operated by the handle 2external to the tank and carried by the shaft 3 which has an arm 4attached by a link rod 5 directly to the valve I. The valve I controlsthe egress of the water from the tank A through the outlet pipe 6 whichleads to the closet bowl, after ordinary practice.

At any suitable place in the tank A is mounted the water inlet valveunit of my invention, and said unit is comprised primarily of a'casing lof somewhat drum-like form and which may preferably be made round or ofany desired shape. The casing I is provided with a bottom 8 at the 2central portion of which is located a downwardly projecting tubularextension, the walls of which diverge outwardly toward the lowerextremity thereof, said extension being designated 9.

Engaged over the tubular extension 9 of the bottom 8 of the casing l isa cup-like valve member iii, which valve member is preferably made fromrubber or some suitable equivalent resilient substance, and is formedwith an upper contracted portion lea that fits over or around thelowermost portion of the tubular extension 9 that projects from thebottom 8 of the casing I. By reason of the resiliency or flexibility ofthe horizontal bottom portionof the valve member IE3, said portion isadapted to move upwardly and downwardly a slight distance in theperformance of its valve function as will be more fully pointed outhereinafter.

Extending from and through the bottom portion of the tank A is an inletwater pipe 5! which projects a short distance above the bottom of thetank A and is held in place by any suitable coupling means involvinggasket packing member or members I2.

The inlet pipe II terminates at its upper end within the tank A and atapoint slightly below the normal plane of the underside of the flexiblevalve I0. I

The casing l8 may be supported on the bottom of the tank A by anysuitable means, such, for instance, as the supporting brackets I3, andwithin the said casing is disposed the flexible diaphragm I4 made of anysuitable resilient substance such as metal, composition or the like,said diaphragm having its peripheral edge portion received b theU-flange 8a which is formed at the edge portion of the bottom 8 of thecasing. This same U-flange 8a receives the lower edge of the side wallof the casing member '5, and by application of pressure upon the sideportions of the said U-flange 8a, the lower edges of the parts I and I4are clamped in the U-flange in air and water tight connection with themember 8.

At its central portion the diaphragm M is provided with a hollow valveactuating projection or lug designated I5, the lower end of which isadapted to abut With and under certain conditions move downwardly thevalve ill for causing the lower side of the valve ID to seat against theupper end of the water in-fiow pipe it so that the said pipe may beclosed at this portion to discontinue the inflow of such water.

Extending upwardly from the casing "i i water pressure pipe I5 whichcommunicates its lower end with the upper pressure chamber I? on thecasing I, said pipe I6 being open at its upper end and terminating somedistance short of the top B of the tank A.

The lower chamber of the casing I is designated I8 and is an air chamberfrom which leads downwardly the vent pipe I9 which opens to theatmosphere and permits passage of air from the chamber I8 to theatmosphere during certain operations of the diaphragm I4 to be later setforth.

Also extending from the top of the chamber I is the U-shaped siphon pipe20 which leads upwardly from the valve unit and then downchamber I'Iserves a special purpose. Sometimes the ball valve I will return to itsseat on the exit pipe before the water in the tank is fully discharged,or it may be that due to repairs in the water system, the main supply ofwater for the tank, and consequently the pressure thereof, may be cutoff. Under these conditions, the weight of water in the chamber I! willmove the diaphragm M downwardly and close the valve I against the pipeII. This latter functioning of my valve is desirable in order to preventresidiium water at the bottom of the flush tank A i from beingpermittedto re-enter the water inwardly to a point of terminationin a planesomewhat below the plane of the top of the unit cas-.

ing 1.

An understanding of the construction of my valve unit being had in thelight of the foregoing description of the detail features and parts asassembled, the operation of the valve means will now be set forth. 7

It will be assumed that the tank A has been emptied by reason of theoperation of the handle and the ball valve I, the latter being of courseraised from its seat in such emptying operation. With the tank A empty,the parts of the valve unit will be in the position in which they areillustrated in large degree in Figure 2. Under these conditions, as seenin Figure 2, the valve member ID is upraised from the upper end of thewater inflow pipe II, and water enters the tank A from the pipe II in asteady stream until the lower end of the siphon pipe 20 is submerged,and, until the level of the water in the tank reaches the upper open endof the pressure pipe I6. Thereupon the water in the tank enters the pipeI6 and also enters the water pressure chamber II ofthe casing 1-8. Assoon as the pipe IB-is filled, the column of water contained thereinacting upon the water in the pressure chamber I! will eifect a downwardflexing or resilient movement of the actuating member or projection I ofthe diaphragm I4. Such movement of the member I5 will also movedownwardly the flexible valve member I0, until the latter, at theunderside, closes the upper end of the inflow pipe II and cuts off theflow of water into the tank, which result will be accomplished shortly.after the level of the water in the tank is such as to enable the waterto overflow into the pressure pipe I 6. When the valve I0 is closedon'the pipe II, the body of the diaphragm I4 is slightly bellieddownwardly, and it is this fiexing'ofthe diahragm that carries theprojection I5 to its closing position at the upper end of the pipe II,for pressing valve member ID downwardly,

Upon the next opening of the tank A to use its water for flushingpurposes by exit through the pipe 6 accomplished by operatin the handle!and ball valve l, the water flows out of the tank A through the pipe 6until the water level drops suificiently to start a siphoning effect inthe pipe which withdraws the water from the chamber I! and the pressurepipe I6 until the head of the water in the pressure pipe It has beendrawn down to the level of the top of the chamber IT, at which level thesiphon will break as the lower end of the short leg of the siphon isuncovered. Due to the removal of the head of water in the pipe It, thediaphragm I4 and the valve I0 flexes back to normal full line positionshown in Figure 2, the release of the valve I0 being aided by thepressure of the incoming water from the supply pipe II.

The maintenance of a quantity of water in the now pipe I I when thepressure flow in the latter hasbee'n' discontinued. Thus, anycontaminated water that might be at the bottom of the tank A willbeprevented from flowing back into the water system through the pipe II.

' Of course, when the pressure of the water in the pipe I6 and chamber II is released by the siphoning action previously referred to, the valveI0 will rise under the action'of the inherent resiliency of thediaphragm I4 and thereby the downwardly slightly distended bottomportion of the valve I0 will move upwardly under the pressure of theinflowing water coming again from the inflow pipe I I. The tank willthus be refilled and the operation of emptying the tank may be performedagain in the manner previously described.

In Figure 2 of the drawings thedotted lines show the diaphragm body I4as when deflected downwardly by pressure, and other dotted linesshow'the position of the valve'IIl as when closing down upon the'upper'open end of the inflow pipe.

As the diaphragm I4 moves downwardly in the chamber I'I, any air beneaththe diaphragm and between it and the bottom 8 of the unit will pass fromthe air chamber through the vent pipe I9.

It will be understood that my invention may be adapted to uses otherthan that described. My valve unit is susceptible of use for any liquidtanks or receptacles 'Whi'ch'it'may be 'desiredto refill automaticallyfrom a pressure liquid supply line, irrespective of whateverdischargingmechanism is availed of for the receptacle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new'and desireto'secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: f

1. In combination, a tank, a water inlet pipe leading into thetank, avalve in the tank cooperable with the inlet end of the pipe to open andclose the same, and-means to operate the valvegincluding a casing, apressure pipe adapted to receive a pressure water column from the waterentering the tank, a diaphragm in'the casing to which the pressure pipesupplies a pressure head I to cause coaction between the diaphragm andvalve for closing of the inlet pipe, means to cause said pressure headon said-diaphragm to be relieved progressively as and when lowering ofthe water level in the tank occurs, and means connecting the diaphragmto the casing normally'to permit opening of the valve. f

2. In combination, a tank, a water inletpipe leading into the tank, avalve in the tank cooperable with the inlet end of the pipe to open andclose the same, and means to operate the valve including a casing, apressure pipe adapted to receive a pressure water column from the waterentering the tank, a diaphragm separating the casing into an upper waterpressure chamber'and a lower air chamber, means to vent the air chamberto the atmosphere, water pressure pipeconnected to the water chamber ofthe casing and terminating at a, point above the casing to be filledwhen the water entering the tank reaches a predetermined level therebyto act on the valve to close the inlet pipe, and means in the tank tosiphon water from the water chamber of the easing when the water in thetank is caused to discharge therefrom.

3; Means as claimed in claim 2, in which the siphon means is a pipeleading upward from the water chamber and down to a discharge end abovethe plane of the bottom of said Water chamber.

4. Means as claimed in claim 2, in which the valve comprises a flexiblevalve member attached to the casing, and wherein the diaphragm has apart to flex said valve to cause it to close the inlet water pipe.

5. Means as claimed in claim 2, in which the valve comprises a flexiblevalve member attached to the casing, and wherein the diaphragm ismovably attached to the casing and operatively enageable with the valve.

6. Means as claimed in claim 2, in which the casing has a hollowextension downward from its under side, a flexible valve surrounding thesaid extension and movable down on the inlet end of the Water inletpipe, the diaphragm having a downwardly projecting member engageablewith the valve, and also having resilient connection to the casing tomove up and down thereon for valve closing and opening operations.

STEVEN HORVATH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

